Liquid dispensing device



Aug. 20, 1957 w. E. CARBONE, JR 2,803,270

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed NOV. l, 1954 ATTO RNEYS United States Patenti() LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE William E. Carbone, Jr., Berkeley Heights, N. J., assiguor to Carroll Dunham Smith Pharmacal Co., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1, 1954, Serial No. 466,153

8 Claims. (Cl. 141-322) This invention relates tothe `ar`t of vdispensing devices, more particularly of the type to measure a predetermined quantity of liquid. l

As conducive to an understanding 'of the invention, it is noted that when a physician prescribes a liquid medicine, he generally designates the dose to be taken in terms of a teaspoonful. Where the patient uses a conventional spoon for the measuring device, as spoons generally differ in size, there is no assurance that the proper dose will be taken and when the spoon is filled to the top, liquid is often spilled. Furthermore, a spoon is often not readily available inthe bathroom where `the 'medicine is generally kept and the user may have to walk to the kitchen in order to secure a spoon, with consequent inconvenience. This failure to have a spoon available is even more inconvenient for a traveller or for a bed-ridden patient who would have to call on an attendant to measure the prescribed dose. In addition, to the foregoing, the spoon, after use, must be carefully washed as the liquid medicine often reacts with the metal of the spoon causing discoloration andeven'with such washing the spoon is often permanently discolo'red.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a combined measuring and dispensing device that is neat, compact, has no moving parts, may readily be fabricated in a simple molding operation at low cost, and may readily be cleaned and is not subject to discoloration or contamination, which device may readily be inserted into the neck of a bottle and with a simple manipulation of the latter will measure a predetermined quantity of liquid without likelihood of spilling and may readily be removed from the bottle to serve as a dispensing device from which the contents may be directly taken.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shownone or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of the dispensing device mounted in a bottle, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective vew of the device. v

Referring now to the drawings, the dispensing device comprises a substantially cup-shaped receptacle 11 preferably of plastic which is substantially non-porous, and of the type which will not react chemically with the contents of the bottle 12 with which it is to be used.

The receptacle 11 is of reduced diameter at its lower end as at 13 deining a shoulder 14 and such reduced diameter portion is of diameter such that it may readily fit into the neck 15 of the bottle 12. The upper edge or mouth 16 of the receptacle is of outer diameter slightly less than that of the neck 15 of the bottle so that a cap 17 may readily be screwed on the externally threaded neck 15. The cap 17 desirably has an inner liner 18 of cork or plastic material and in the embodiment shown,

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a gasket 21" of suitable resilient plastic such as polyethylene encompasses the reduced portion 13.

Thus, when the cap 17 is tightened, the top wall 22 thereof will force the receptacle 11 into the neck 15 of the bottle 12 so that the upper edge 16 of the receptacle 11 will press against the liner 18 to provide a 'dependable seal that will prevent leakage from the chamber 23 defined by the interior of the receptacle 11 and the top wall 22 of the cap. In addition, the pressure on the receptacle 11 caused by tightening of the cap 17 will also cause the gasket 21 to be compressed between shoulder 14 and the end 24 of the bottle 12 to provide a dependable seal that will prevent leakage-from the bottle.

It is of course to be understood that if the receptacle itself is of slightly resilient material such as polyethylene, the gasket 21 can be dispensed with, for with tightening of the cap 17 the pressure of shoulder 14 against the end 24 of the bottle will cause deformation of such shoulder to provide a dependable liquid seal.

Rising from the floor 25 of the receptacle 11 arc means to provide communication between the contents of the bottle 12 and the chamber 23. Such means in the illustrative 'embodiment desirably comprises a plurality of tubes -26 illustratively two in number which may be molded with the receptacle. The tubes 26 are of ysuch 'height and diameter and the dimensions of the receptacle 11 -are so selected, that the volume of liquid that can be accommodated in the portion of thechamber between the upper ends 27 of the tubes 26 and theliner 18 of the cap 17 is equal to a predetermined quantity, illustrativelyone teaspoon and the volume of the chamber between the iioor 25 and a level below the upper ends-27 of the tubes is equal to one teaspoon.

To use the device,'the bottle 12 is inverted. By reason of the -two tubes 26, one will serve as a vent iso that liquid may iiow through the other tube into the inverted chamber 23 until the level of the liquid in chamber 23 reaches the ends 27 of the tubes. The bottle 12 is then restored to normal position and the liquid level in the chamber will be below the upper ends 27 of the tubes 26.

The cap 17 is then unscrewed and the receptacle 11 removed so that the patient may drink its contents. As the level of the liquid is below the upper ends 27 of the tubes, no liquid will iow through the tubes when the receptacle is tilted for drinking. The receptacle may then be washed and restored into the neck of the bottle and the cap screwed in place so that the bottle and receptacle which form a unit is ready for subsequent use.

As the dispensing device may be retained in the bottle cap when not in use, it is not likely to be misplaced and hence will always be available.

As the receptacle is charged with the cap in place on the neck of the bottle, there is no likelihood of spilling and as the level of the liquid in the receptacle when it is removed, is below the mouth thereof and below the upper end of the tubes, spilling is also precluded.

As many changes could be made in the above device, and many apparently widely diiferent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the p below the level of thernouth of said receptacle, said tubes providing communication into said receptacle from the exterior thereof.

2. A unit of the character described comprising a bottle having a neck, a cup-shaped receptacle having a reduced portion at its lower end of outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the neck of the bottle so that it may readily t therein, said reduced diameter portion dening an annular shoulder, the upper portion of said receptacle having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of said bottle neck so that said shoulder may seat on the upper end of the bottle, a cap encompassing said receptacle and the neck of said bottle and removably retained on the latter, said cap having a wall adapted to move against the upper edge of said receptacle when the cap is tightened, said receptacle having a door, said floor having a passageway therethrough to provide communication into the interior of said receptacle and means associated with said passageway to prevent leakage of liquid from the interior or" said receptacle through said passageway into said bottle.

3. A unit of the character described comprising a bottle having a neck, a cup-shaped receptacle having a reduced portion at its lower end of outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the neck of the bottle so that it may readily fit therein, said reduced diameter portion defining an annular shoulder, the upper portion of said receptacle having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of said bottle neck so that said shoulder may seat on the upper end of the bottle, a cap encompassing said receptacle and the neck of said bottle and removably retained on the latter, said cap having a wall adapted to move against the upper edge of said receptacle when the cap is tightened, said receptacle having a floor, a plurality of tubes rising from said oor into said receptacle, said tubes providing communication into said receptacle from the bottle, the volurne of said receptacle between the free ends of said tubes and the cap being less than the volume of the receptacle between the floor thereof and a point below the free ends of said tubes, whereby when said bottle is inverted the portion of said receptacle between the cap and the ends of the tubesfwill fill with liquid and when said bottle is restored to normal position the liquid level will stabilize at a level below the upper ends of said tubes.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 in which a gasket of resilient material encompasses the reduced portion of said receptacle and is positioned between the shoulder and the upper end or the bottle, whereby when the cap is tightened thte gasket will be compressed between said shoulder and the upper end of said bottle to provide a dependable seal.

5. The combination recited in claim 3 in which a liner of compressible material is positioned in said cap adjacent the top wall, whereby when the cap is tightened the upper edge of the receptacle will be compressed against said liner to provide a dependable seal.

6. The combination recited in claim 3 in which said receptacle is of plastic material.

7. The combination recited in claim 6 in which said plastic material is polyethylene. v

8. A liquid dispensing device comprising a cup-shaped receptacle having a oor, a plurality of tubes rising from said floor into said receptacle, the free ends of said tubes being below the level of the mouth of said rectacle, said tubes providing communication into said receptacle from the exterior thereof, the volume of said receptacle between the free ends of said tubes and the mouthof said receptacle being less than the Volume of the receptacle between the floor thereof and a point below the free ends of said tubes.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 644,026 Worthen Feb. 20, 1900 2,464,222 Fazekas Mar. l5, 1949 2,570,745 Arnold Oct. 9, 1951 

